Stormwatch

Stormwatch

Authorities await ID, cause of deaths of decomposing bodies found in storage unit

Local
-
8/16/2013 4:38 PM
by Karen Franklin

SUMMERSVILLE - Authorities in West Virginia and Alabama are awaiting the identification
and cause of deaths of two bodies found decomposing in a Summersville
storage unit.

Sgt. Ron Lilly of State Police told WOAY they responded
to Storall in Nicholas County Wednesday after the facility's owner made
the discovery in an unsecured unit.

Authorities from Alabama investigating the disappearance of a mother and
daughter flew to West Virginia Thursday after they linked the case to a
person of interest in Nicholas County.

"We're working to determine
if we have criminal violations in West Virginia, then appropriate people
will be charged," Lilly told WOAY. "If the violations occurred in
Alabama, then the evidence and things will be turned over to the Alabama
authorities."

State Police cannot confirm if the cases are related until the bodies are
identified. It is also unknown if the renter of the storage unit is the
person of interest in the case.

For now, police will await information from the medical examiner.

"To continue on the investigation, to tie up our loose ends and
hopefully get justice for the families of whoever these two individuals
are," Lilly said.

"It's kind of creepy," Teella Deems told Newswatch
Friday. "Here in Summersville, I mean everybody knows just about
everybody in Summersville, and then all of a sudden, there's bodies
found in the storage building."

Other residents had similar thoughts.

"I think it's scary," Kara
Hines said. "You never think something like that would really happen in
Summersville because it's a small community and everybody knows
everybody. Then something like that happens, and since it's a small
community, you never lock your door."